My Adventure: by Scott Miller
In 2023, I led a team of four in setting the Guinness World Record for the fastest canoe descent of the Mississippi River: 2,340 miles from northern Minnesota to mile marker zero, 90 miles south of New Orleans.
It was an epic journey.
I loved the training and preparation, which took place over five years.
The plan had been to set the record in 2020 but the pandemic thwarted us. So then the plan was to do it in 2021, and we had a rival team that left two weeks before us and broke the record. So now our goal was to break the record they had just set. When we got to the Louisiana border we had about a seven hour lead, but a huge multi-day storm blew in from the Gulf, and the huge headwind and waves slowed us down substantially. Our lead dropped and dropped and then, approaching midnight halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the waves grew so big they filled our canoe. As it sank out from under us, at the last second we were able to leap onto our safety boat. The whole story is captured in a fantastic Outside magazine article.
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/water-activities/mississippi-river-speed-record
But I had such a good time on that attempt, I couldn’t wait to try again. I’d learned so much, and I was more inspired than ever
I recruited new teammates—some of the best paddlers in the world. When we came back in 2023, we had a support crew of over 20 people. Two safety boats on the river, two RVs, and a fleet of land vehicles kept us moving safely and efficiently. They made sure we were well-fed, hydrated, and focused. Everyone—from the drivers to the medics to the people refilling our water bottles—felt as a crucial part of the team. It was amazing to be part of a group all striving toward one giant, audacious goal.
What stays with me most is the river itself. The Mississippi begins as a tiny creek flowing through pine forests and wild rice swamps. It tumbles through rapids and opens into three massive lakes. Then comes a 150-mile remote stretch, the Sauk Rapids, the Twin Cities, and 29 locks and dams. From there it threads past barges and bluffs, through rolling hills, and beneath the great Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
Further south, it absorbs the Ohio River and grows massive, winding through endless bottomlands and ancient bends. You pass islands, sandbars, Clarksdale, Memphis, New Orleans—and finally, a sea of grass before reaching the sea itself.
It’s a 2,340 mile ribbon of wilderness adventure running through the heart of America.
Advice to Others:
If you ever stumble across an idea that makes your heart sing—grab it. Hold on tight. Obsession can be a beautiful thing.
It’s easy to dismiss big dreams as selfish or impossible. But there’s nothing better than chasing something wild, ambitious, and deeply meaningful. It’s so much fun, it almost doesn’t matter if you succeed. Try anyway. Try especially when the odds seem long. And if you fail? You can always try again.
My other advice is to find a way to get experience paddling in a creek or a river. The feel of the current pushing you along and the excitement of seeing what’s around the next bend are intoxicating.
Oh and come do a tour or a race on the Mississippi up here in Minnesota as part of the event Todd and I organize called the Minnesota Paddling Opener! There’s five distances to choose from ranging from 5 to 145 miles.
Oh and lastly, follow our Missouri River Speed Record attempt scheduled for June of 2026!
